Semiconductor fabrication processes involve fabricating several thousand individual devices on one wafer. Specifically, semiconductor wafers are cleaved to form chips, die, pieces and bars, which are later used in electronics and computer devices. After cleaving, the semiconductor chips are coated and are ready for further processing or storage. Due to the small size and delicate nature of the semiconductor chips, particularly careful handling is required to prevent damage such as chipping or breaking. Furthermore, it is essential that the orientation of coated semiconductor chips on the storage or processing surface is completed without touching the facet end of the semiconductor chips.
Currently, orienting semiconductor chips on a surface for processing or storage is done manually by an operator using a vacuum pick. The operator uses the vacuum pick to transfer coated semiconductor chips, one at a time, from coating blade fixtures to a vinyl surface or other storage or processing surface. When manually rotating the semiconductor chips, the operator has to be extremely careful that the facet end of the chips does not get touched during the transfer to prevent chip contamination or breakage. The operator must configure the semiconductor chips on the storage surface so that each semiconductor chip is substantially parallel to the other. The angle between each of the semiconductor chips on the surface can be no more than 5 degrees off of parallel.
The manual handling of the semiconductor objects is extremely time consuming, especially when the alignment of the chips on the storage or processing surface must be corrected. An operator must be trained in handling and aligning the semiconductor chips so that the facet end of the semiconductor object is never touched to prevent damage or contamination. Even after an operator has been carefully trained in the manual handling of the semiconductor chips, there are still numerous instances of breakage and damage.